Bible study · Study note
Read the paragraph, not just the verse.
A sentence belongs to a paragraph. A paragraph belongs to a book. Slow down long enough to see the connections.
Start with what is there
Before asking what a verse means for you, notice what it says. Read the whole paragraph. Who is speaking? Who is being addressed? Which words or ideas repeat?
Follow the argument
Read the paragraphs before and after. Notice connecting words such as “therefore”, “because” and “but”. They show how the author is building an argument.
Read the book as a whole
Ask how the passage fits the purpose and genre of the book. Poetry, letters and historical narrative communicate in different ways.
Put it into practice
Write one sentence summarising the passage in its context. Then identify one appropriate response: something to believe, a sin to turn from, a reason to give thanks or a step of obedience.